The Directorate General of Maritime Administration (DGMA) has issued a high-alert advisory directing all Indian-flagged vessels and foreign-flagged ships carrying Indian seafarers to exercise the highest degree of caution while operating in the Black Sea amid escalating security risks.
The advisory follows a series of missile and drone attacks on merchant vessels in the region, including incidents that claimed the lives of five Indian seafarers in the past week.
In a circular issued on Saturday, the DGMA instructed shipowners, operators, masters and Indian seafarers to undertake voyage-specific security risk assessments before entering the affected waters and to continuously monitor advisories issued by the Directorate and other government agencies.
The maritime regulator noted that ten attacks involving Indian seafarers aboard foreign-flagged vessels have been reported since April 2026, highlighting the deteriorating security situation in the conflict-affected Black Sea.
The advisory specifically referred to the attack on MV GOLDEN LEO on July 19, 2026, when the vessel was struck by multiple missiles while departing Ukraine’s Port of Odesa. The ship had five Indian seafarers on board. The attack resulted in ten fatalities, with four Indian crew members presumed dead.
DGMA also highlighted recent attacks on the tankers MT Asia, MT Louise-1, and MT Nelsa near Novorossiya, Russia, which caused significant damage to the vessels. Seafarers, including Indian nationals serving on board, were forced to abandon the ships following the attacks.
The Directorate has urged all stakeholders in the shipping industry to remain vigilant and strictly follow security protocols while transiting the Black Sea until the regional security situation improves.